Christmas vacation begins right now!
or Test Tasting? Our progressive dinner is this weekend. We're serving cocktails and appetizers this year. And yes, we served these last year, too. We got a bit wonky by not keeping track of whom was doing what so i'm a repeater. But I'm excited about what we are serving and about seeing my friends and having a night away from my lovely sons.
So tonight I am taste-testing (or test-tasting) pomegranate margaritas and milk punch. I like to have a choice of two drinks, one fruity and one creamy. And as I am really Not (with a capital N) a fan of egg nog I thought this milk punch might be the way to go.
I especially wanted a holiday drink using bourbon. I'm from Kentucky, the land of bourbon. We like our bourbon. And, my husband and I have a habit of touring distilleries when we go back South. This summer we visited Four Roses and have a very nice bottle of their finest spirits. It seems almost a shame to make a cocktail with it. It would be delicious over ice. But I don't think my friends are as friendly with bourbon as my husband and I are (not that I sit around drinking bourbon night and day). But it is a Southern tradition and we might need to share it.
Here's the recipe for the punch...
Milk Punch
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/4cup whole or reduced-fat
(2%) milk
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (or more)
sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups ice cubes
- Freshly grated whole nutmeg
or ground nutmeg
Preparation
Whip first 5 ingredients in blender until foamy. Stir in ice. Strain punch
into two 6-ounce glasses or mugs. Sprinkle with nutmeg and serve. Note: I haven't actually made this one yet. Husband just got home and we're taking the kids out to dinner. I'll make this one upon our return.
Here's the recipe for the margaritas. I swear, they're the best darn things I've ever had. I love margaritas but this one is going to be my new go-to drink. I cannot tell you enough how yummy this thing is.
This recipe is for ten servings as I'm making a pitcher of them for the party. Also, the way I made them is a bit different. More on that at the end of the recipe.
Pomegranate Margaritas - SERVINGS: 10
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
(I used Knudsen's Just Pomegranate juice)
- 1 cup tequila (I used Jose Cuervo Traditional)
- 3/4 cup fresh lime juice (I used fresh Meyer lemon juice instead)
- 10 thin strips or slices cucumber, for garnish (I used fresh pomegranate seeds instead)
- In a small saucepan, combine
the sugar and water and simmer over high heat, stirring, until the sugar
has dissolved; let cool completely.
- In a tall pitcher, combine
the sugar syrup with the pomegranate juice, tequila and lime juice. Stir
well, fill the pitcher with ice and stir again. Pour into 10 margarita,
martini or cordial glasses, garnish each with a cucumber strip and serve.
Now, here's what I did that is different from these instructions. I added some triple sec. A couple of recipes I had looked at used it and it is sweet. At the time I added it I had forgotten to add the simple syrup so the drink tasted a bit like a rusty old armpit. Pomegranate juice is very earthy and slightly bitter. It was in serious need of some sweetening. Once I realized I was missing the sugar water (simple syrup) all was revealed to me. And, I love meyer lemons. I also have a meyer lemon tree in my backyard. Also, I rubbed a lemon around the rim of the drink and then dipped the glass into cocktail sugar. Yummo! This drink is so, so delicious but be careful. There's tequila in here!
And here's some puppy cuteness, just because...